Sadly, due to having too much reading material, I had to stop reviewing submissions from Indieview.com. This was a shame because I found some real gems late last year. We are a happy and largely supportive community and I hope to take it up again later on. I am however, offering to review books for people who peruse and comment on my blog and those to whose blogs I subscribe. I found Hearn’s blog earlier this year and seeing he had a book just out, I was intrigued enough by the premise to offer to review it.

The plot is tantalising if you like your science fiction with a dash of thrills with some niche ideas to get you thinking. This story about a missing woman and the plot to unravel her disappearance (was she murdered? if so, where is the body? Was she abducted? If so, why? Who has her?) while four people with vastly different backgrounds get caught up in the case. This is right up my street blending great science fiction with gritty ITV style mid-week drama (msot definitely not a bad thing!)

What at first seems a simple case of a disappearance soon becomes far more complex. It is books like this that demonstrate why self publishing is largely a good thing – the unconventional, the conceptual, the niche interests are all areas that a lot of publishers wouldn’t take a chance on. I admit I have read some poor quality work but I have also read some absolutely cracking reads. This definitely falls into the latter.

Conceptual science fiction is not everybody’s cup of tea, even after Inception but at least it proved that big ideas can be popular mainstream works. I am partial to conceptual science fiction myself and can always appreciate a great idea. This is certainly a great idea and Hearn has blended concept with character and plot rather nicely without being bogged down in it’s own complexity or coming across as elitist – something that can put a lot of people off “harder” science fiction. The characters are well rounded and in that, the balance is well struck – great job there!

The only real complaint I have is that there has been some global event prior to the story opening that has changed our world forever. It is not entirely clear what it is, or if it is explained then it is a remark made in passing. It is not vital to the plot but it is always good to know these things.

4/5